«Faced with the risk of inflation, it is essential that in the long term debt be reduced throughout the EU, especially in the countries with the largest economies. At the same time, a pension reform is needed: Italy and France in fact spend between 10 and 15% of their GDP on pensions, we in the Netherlands spend only 5% of GDP». This was stated by the Dutch premier, Mark Rutte, speaking at the World Economic Forum, in a panel dedicated to European growth. The goal must be debt reduction, he explained, because “it is damaging long-term economic growth. Changes in the pension sector are difficult but necessary.
The premier then went headlong in the debate on the European Union’s Green Industrial Policy in response to the Inflation Reduction Act. And he harshly criticized the request – strong in Italy – that faster state aid be accompanied by a common budget European Union to help the most indebted countries. But also the idea of throwing away the rules on state aid. “Now some are saying, we need more European funding, well, there are so many,” Rutte said during the WEF meeting. «I’m not in favor, there is so much money pooled, the recovery fund, European projects, money for the 2030 goals for the energy transition»